Video games for playing on a personal computer or game console have become quite popular. A very popular type of video game is a sports simulation game simulating a sport such as golf, hockey, football, baseball, etc. These games are generally played by the user using a user interface device to interact with the video game console or computer. The output of the game console or computer is generally sent to a display device such as a monitor, television or projector which displays the image on a screen. The larger the output image of the game console or computer, the better the gaming experience is for the player.
A number of user interface devices have been developed to allow a user to interact with video games and computers. Examples of such user interface devices include a simulated surfboard shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,817,950, a method of playing racket and other types of games as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,695,953 and a treadmill-type arrangement as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,278,095. In addition, Published U.S. Patent Application No. 20070049374 by Nintendo describes a game system which utilizes a game controller having a motion detection capability. These other user interface devices have been developed to provide for a more realistic gaming experience when a user is playing games and in particular, sports simulation games. However, these user interface devices do not completely mimic the experiences the user would encounter if playing the real game particularly in a three dimensional spatial relationship.
The use of object tracking devices such as video cameras for tracking moving objects such as golf balls, baseballs, etc is also known. Examples of such systems are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,342,051; 5,768,151; 5,938,545, among others. In our earlier patent application, U.S. Ser. No. 11/848,956, filed Aug. 31, 2007, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, we describe an object tracking interface device for use with computers and game consoles where the device tracks the movement of a moving object within the field of view of the interface device and provides input to the computer or game console on the movement of the moving object. Similar to many such devices, the tracking devices may be provided as part of a frame enclosure which includes a screen at the rear of the frame onto which is projected the image for playing the game. The screen is constructed of a shock absorbing material suitable both for displaying the image as well as for stopping the moving object used in playing the game without being damaged.
While such a frame enclosure with an attached screen is common in many such apparatus, such an arrangement is not entirely suitable for home use. In order to provide the necessary support for the screen, the enclosure is generally a permanent installation. Most people do not have the space required for such a permanent installation. In addition, many such enclosures are relatively large and will not be easily accommodated in a residential space.
In the past, the largest images were available using projectors and screens. With the recent advances in digital televisions such as LCD, LED and plasma, large screen televisions are now becoming commonplace. These large screen televisions provide for an enhanced playing experience for the user. However, they do not provide as full an experience for games which utilize a moving object such as sports games as do the enclosure with attached screen.
There thus remains a need for an apparatus which will allow for a more realistic gaming experience with large screen televisions.